Review: Covered Bridge Homestyle Ketchup Potato Chips

Covered Bridge Homestyle Ketchup Potato Chips. Same amateur packaging design as with the other chips in the Covered Bridge line.

I’ve tried and reviewed other Covered Bridge chips (namely their Cinnamon and Brown Sugar chips, as well as their Smokin’ Sweet BBQ flavour), so I’ve already noted their hideous packaging and other quirky features. This time, what caught my attention was their ketchup flavour. I adore ketchup chips, and grew up stuffing my face with Old Dutch’s ketchup flavour. So I’ve got a pretty good baseline for ketchup chip appreciation.

Since I first found Covered Bridge chips in Alberta, they seem to have become easier to find. Either more shops stock them, or they stock them more prominently. That they’re now available at Calgary Co-op speaks to their newfound reach. All the more reason to try another flavour.

The Pitch: I think it’s the same blurb as on the back of other Covered Bridge chips (made in Hartland, New Brunswick, home of the world’s longest covered bridge, etc.). The important part that will attract many buyers: “No preservatives, no artificial colours, no artificial flavours, no trans fat, gluten-free.”

The Look: Same ugly packaging as other Covered Bridge chips, featuring an amateur ketchup-bottle-and-tomato illustration and lettering of junior-high binder-doodle calibre. I will, however, concede that I’m a fan of the portion size. One snack-sized bag only contains 180 calories, which is better for the belly than other grab-bags on the market. The chips are natural-looking, occasionally gnarled and curled up kettle-style chips.

The Taste: More like concession-stand french fries with ketchup than ketchup chips, which is a nice change. Hard, crunchy chips form the base, with real tomato flavour, a hint of sweetness, and just enough salt. Not too oily, but also not lacking in yummy kettle-chip flavour.

These Covered Bridge Homestyle Ketchup Potato Chips look all gnarled and kettle-chippy. The colouring is muted compared to the seasoning used on other ketchup chips.

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RATINGS AND DETAILS

Cost: $1.19 for a 36 gram (1.25 oz) bag at Calgary Co-op.

Value for cash money: Not bad.

Availability: Getting easier and easier to find in Alberta, but still not ubiquitous.

The verdict: Do I like these more than the Old Dutch ketchup flavour? No, but I grew up with Old Dutch, so that’s not unexpected. For people who’ve tried Old Dutch ketchup but weren’t fans, you might want to try these before writing off all ketchup chips. They have a nice, real-tasting tomato ketchup seasoning that doesn’t overpower the taste buds.

Just thought I would let you know as a diehard fan that I bought 10 bags of your Simply Blue. The first bag was amazing. The second was so salty, I couldn’t eat them. A friend of mine bought as many on my recommendation.

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